Tel Aviv-PotashCorp continues to increase its stake in Israel Chemicals Ltd. On Friday, Feb. 5, the company purchased 18.5 million shares of ICL at a price of $12.68 per share. The additional shares represent 1.4 percent, increasing the company’s current stake to 13.9 percent. The cost of the most recent transaction was $234.6 million. PotashCorp now owns 176.1 million shares of ICL. In late January, PotashCorp spent $186.6 million for an additional 1.1 percent of ICL, bringing its stake up to 12.46 percent (GM Feb. 1, p. 10).
U.S. Gulf/Tampa:While price ideas for March ammonia to Tampa remain up, nothing new has yet been concluded. Business for February was conducted within the $365-$375/mt DEL range.
Eastern Cornbelt:The ammonia market continued to be quoted in the $395-$425/st FOB range, depending on location and time of delivery. There were reports of some sellers offering spot tons at lower numbers to move some tons quickly, but no actual business was confirmed last week. Effective Feb. 5, Agrium’s ammonia postings moved to $425/st FOB Illinois terminals at E. Dubuque, Niota, Meredosia, and Marseilles, and $435/st FOB North Bend/Finney, Ohio.
Western Cornbelt:The ammonia spot market remained in a broad range at $340-$390/st FOB in the region, depending on supplier and location, with the low in Nebraska and the higher numbers reported in Iowa. Postings from some suppliers were considerably higher but remained untested, sources said.
California:Anhydrous ammonia was steady at $480-$485/st truck-DEL and $515/st rail-DEL in the California market, with aqua ammonia listed at $132/st FOB.
Pacific Northwest:Anhydrous ammonia was tagged at $435-$440/st DEL in the region, also reflecting an increase from last report. Sources said there still might be cheaper rail tons available, but no business was confirmed at lower numbers.
Western Canada:The anhydrous ammonia market remained at $700-$745/mt DEL in Western Canada, depending on location. Manitoba and Saskatchewan sources put the common dealer price in the $700-$718/mt DEL range last week.
UREA
U.S. Gulf: The granular market was quiet last week. Sources said players in Orlando were talking price but not concluding business. Price ideas were reportedly anywhere from $315-$325/st FOB, depending on whether you were a buyer or a seller. Sources reported that last done business fell in the $320-$324/st FOB range. Most, but not all, were skeptical of whether something sub-$320/st FOB could be concluded. As with UAN and other fertilizers, sources lamented that wet weather in Texas was holding buyers back, that dealers are looking for product to move to the ground before restocking, and that dry conditions in Texas might be seven-to-ten days away.
Price ideas for prills were reported to be moving back up in the direction of granular.
Eastern Cornbelt: Granular urea was steady at $355-$365/st FOB in the region.
Western Cornbelt: Granular urea pricing was unchanged at $350-$365/st FOB in the region. One source put the St. Louis market at $355/st FOB to the dealer last week.
California: Granular urea was tagged at $380-$400/st FOB and $400-$420/st DEL in the state.
Pacific Northwest: Granular urea was quoted at $380-$400/st DEL, depending on location. Although postings from some suppliers were higher, sources said the lower numbers were being met for any tons sold.
Western Canada: Granular urea pricing to the dealer remained at $491-$516/mt DEL, depending on location, with the low reported in Manitoba and the high in Alberta. Dealer reference prices were pegged as high as $525/mt DEL in the region.
Black Sea: Sources report traders are picking up and trading tons, but nothing seems to be heading for an end user.
The latest price range traders are working with is said to be $310-$315/mt FOB.
Producers continue to push for higher prices, and traders seem to be going along for the ride.
Right now, say sources, the only destinations being discussed are a few tons for Latin America. However, the buyers there are putting up a fight against higher prices. Sources report buyers are taking only what they need when they need it. The purchases for that area do not add up to the amount of tons under discussion in the Black Sea at this time.
Some traders say most of the activity is in anticipation of an Indian buyer coming into the market by the end of this month.
India remains the focus as a potential buyer in the near future. Odds are that when one of the Indian buying houses calls a tender, it will involve at least 600,000 mt. Local media report Uralchem is looking to float an IPO in March.
The move, say sources, is designed to reduce and restructure the $867 million debt that is coming due this year and next.
An analyst at Urilsib Capital told Reuters that even with the restructuring, debt payments and capital expenditures could easily outpace earnings. The analyst said Uralchem earnings before interest, tax, and depreciation could be $350-$400 million for 2010. Outflows are expected to be $700 million.
India: The global urea market is waiting for an Indian tender. Conventional wisdom says that India will have to come back into the market by the end of this month or the first week of March.
There is a growing view in Asia, however, that the current Indian reserves are strong enough to allow the government to wait until later March or early April to call a tender. For India, ordering urea imports is as much actual supply and demand numbers as it is political sensitivities.
The political leadership on the national and local levels does not want to hear complaints about suspected urea shortages. Even if the tonnage on hand is enough to get the next application season started, if local distributers or farmers believe the tonnage is insufficient, complaints will work their way up through local political leaders to the national government.
For now, sources say the reserves are more than adequate for the spring applications.
By not calling a tender until late March, sources say India might be able to beat down the price of urea.
The price moved up steadily last year as India and Pakistan bought material. Last year closed with India paying $305/mt CFR for east coast deliveries and $300/mt CFR for west coast.
The current prices out of Yuzhnyy and the Arab Gulf are well above $310/mt FOB.
Arguing for a tender sooner than later are reports that Agora will walk away from the 100,000 mt it contracted to deliver late last year.
The tonnage was done at the last minute after everyone thought the final tender of the year was scrapped.
The price started to move up even as Agora agreed to the deal. Sources report the company was working hard to find tons at a price that would at least allow it to break even.
Now Agora is facing having to forfeit its performance bond, which sources say is about $30/mt.
One trader noted that taking the hit on the bond is better than buying tons at current prices to cover sales at $300 or $305/mt CFR. The loss on each ton would be closer to $40/mt, said one source.
“If you are going to lose money, the difference between taking a hit on $30/mt or $40/mt is a no-brainer,” said one trader.
Middle East: Tons keep moving out. Producers reportedly have full order books for the rest of the month. The first part of March is also looking good.
After March 15, say sources, the pickings are looking slim.
Material that is moving out is mostly under long-term contracts to Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America. Sources peg the prices at $300-310/mt FOB for prills and $330-$335/mt FOB for granular.
Producers claim they are sold out through March. One observer noted, however, that more than a couple of cargoes could be found at the right price.
Sources report that producers are confident they will be able to hold the line on prices, because once Australia and the Western Hemisphere stop buying, India will step up. The only fly in the ointment, according to sources, is that India may not need to start buying until late March or early April.
If India can hold off until the first couple of weeks in April, said one regional trader, most Middle East producers will face a growing inventory.
Sources report that producers are looking to expand their sales into Africa. Some of the deals may be tied to aid packages.
If the deals come through, the potential for producer warehouses full of material looking for a home diminishes.
Sabic will be in good shape no matter what happens with discussions in Africa. It has numerous deals around the world.
A steady flow of product goes to the U.S. and Australia. At the same time, material will go to Pakistan under a government-to-government aid package.
The Pakistan aid package will also keep that country out of the global market, leaving India as the sole large-scale public tender buyer.
With the Sabic order books in good shape, sources say the other producers will have to compete with each other to nail down the Indian business. Some of that competition might end up with lower prices.
China: Material in bonded warehouses with nominated vessels might not leave China until March.
The New Year officially kicked off Feb. 14. The Chinese government is giving workers a week to visit families and travel. Unfortunately for most businesses, many people started leaving early last week.
Sources report that the streets, restaurants, and shopping centers in Beijing were eerily empty last week. This week there will be even fewer people in the big cities.
Once the celebrations are done and people are back at work, sources say urea may still move out under strict conditions.
The issue is the duty to charge on the exports. Any material contracted and stored in a bonded warehouse with a named vessel by Jan. 31 can still be exported with only a 7 percent duty. Anything else will be hit with a 110 percent duty.
Traders report that Beijing is watching the late loadings carefully.
The lower-cost material can only be loaded into the ship and for the destination named in the original purchase documents.
The central government is trying to avoid a repeat of naming ghost ships just to get the lower duty. In previous years, producers, local traders, and international buyers would rush the tons to the bonded warehouse and then just name any vessel that looked as if it might be available. Later, the parties would change the name of the ship and its final destination.
This year, said one trader, the nominated vessel can be late, but it cannot be substituted with a different ship. If the ship name changes, said a source, the deal is off.
Southeast Asia: For now, things are quiet. The lunar New Year has most countries in the area in celebration and relaxation mode.
By the end of February, however, sources say Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines will need to start buying. Industry observers will be watching to see how many tons these countries ask for.
The consensus in the industry is that most countries have solid reserves for the upcoming applications season. However, if the queries are for large quantities right after the New Year holiday ends, sources say demand could be stronger than currently estimated.
Sources report traders are already offering tons to Vietnam, but are getting counter bids at much lower prices than the current market can sustain.
NITROGEN SOLUTIONS
U.S. Gulf: UAN prices continue to firm, though not quite as high as producer price ideas, say sources. CF reportedly has posted Donaldsonville railcars at $224/st FOB. The best the barge market could do last week, according to sources, was $200/st FOB. That said, many expect prices to continue to go up as the season approaches; however, sources say more demand is needed to get it going.
Eastern Cornbelt: UAN was pegged at $7.65-$8.00/unit FOB regional terminals, with the low reported in Illinois on a spot basis. One Illinois source quoted rail-delivered tons at the $260/st ($8.13/unit) level to his location last week. CF UAN postings for the Feb. 12-19 order and shipping period firmed to $7.85/unit FOB Mt. Vernon, Ind.; $7.90/unit FOB Cahokia, Ill.; $7.95/unit FOB Louisville, Ky., and Kingston Mines and Peru, Ill.; $8.00/unit FOB Albany, Ill., and Cincinnati, Ohio; $8.15/unit FOB Terra Haute, Ind.; and $8.35/unit FOB East Liverpool, Ohio.
Western Cornbelt: The UAN-32 market was steady at $225-$255/st ($7.03-$7.97/unit) FOB regional terminals, with the low reported out of river locations in southern Missouri. CF hiked its UAN postings on Feb. 12 to $8.20/unit FOB Pine Bend, Minn.
California: UAN-32 was pegged at $238-$252/st ($7.44-$7.88/unit) FOB in the region, with the low FOB Sacramento. The net price FOB Stockton was quoted at the $242/st ($7.56/unit) level last week. Effective Feb. 3, Agrium’s UAN-32 postings moved to $238/st ($7.44/unit) FOB Sacramento, $260/st ($8.13/unit) truck-DEL in central California, and $265/st ($8.28/unit) truck-DEL in northern California.
Pacific Northwest: Effective Feb. 3, Agrium’s UAN-32 postings moved to $250/st ($7.81/unit) rail-DEL in Washington, northern Idaho, and Oregon excluding Malheur County; $255/st ($7.97/unit) rail-DEL and $260/st ($8.13/unit) truck-DEL in southern Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Oregon’s Malheur County; and $270/st ($8.44/unit) DEL in Montana and northern Wyoming.
Western Canada: UAN-28 was unchanged at $294-$310/mt ($10.50-$11.07/unit) DEL in the region, with the low in Manitoba and the upper end in Alberta. Dealer reference levels were quoted as high as $320/mt ($11.43/unit) DEL in the region.
AMMONIUM NITRATE
U.S.Gulf: AN barge availability was reportedly tight, with the last done business at $250/st FOB.
Western Cornbelt: The ammonium nitrate market was unchanged at $280-$290/st FOB in the region. A Nebraska source quoted delivered nitrate at the $305/st level from Oklahoma shipping points.
California: No market was reported for ammonium nitrate in California. CAN-17 remained at $255-$275/st FOB in the state.
Pacific Northwest: Ammonium nitrate was pegged at $365/st rail-DEL in Washington. CAN-17 was a nominal $245-$250/st FOB and $260/st DEL, but sources said they anticipate new prices when production restarts in the near term.
AMMONIUM SULFATE
Eastern Cornbelt: Granular ammonium sulfate had reportedly firmed to $225-$235/st FOB or DEL, depending on supplier. One source talked of very tight inventories.
Western Cornbelt: Granular ammonium sulfate was tagged at $225-$230/st FOB in the region, reflecting another increase from last report.
California: Ammonium sulfate was steady at $210-$247/st FOB in the state, depending on grade and location.
Pacific Northwest: Granular ammonium sulfate pricing remained in the $220-$240/st DEL range in the region.
Western Canada: Granular ammonium sulfate pricing in Western Canada was tagged at $325-$330/mt DEL to the dealer, up $15-$20/mt from last report.
PHOSPHATES
Central Florida: A large percentage of the Central Florida DAP railcar business took a hit last week, as heavy snows buried much of the eastern and Midwestern portions of the country and prompt sales suffered. Meanwhile, prices on the export market were rising rapidly and that will take up the slack in sales, as well as inventories.
No new prompt sales were found last week, and that could continue this week, unless the weather improves. Still, at least one producer increased its price.
Not a lot of new business was done last week at the TFI conference in Orlando last week, but a lot of information was exchanged. Some said that would help buyers make decisions on when they should move to prepare for the spring season.
The Central Florida DAP price range was unchanged last week at $390-$400/st FOB. Large buyers could expect to pay the lower price or even $5/st FOB higher, while smaller buyers will pay at least the high end of the range. Mosaic’s posted price was $395/st FOB, and CF increased its price by $5/st FOB to match Mosaic’s. PCS Sales was charging market-based prices. Prices from Agrifos were $430/st FOB for DAP and $440/st FOB for MAP, but railcars were about $5/st FOB less, if available.
U.S. Gulf: The blanket of snow covering the Midwest and eastern U.S. not only slowed sales, but also cut into the attendance at last week’s TFI conference at Orlando. Although the weather was colder than normal in Florida, snow was not the problem. Instead, cancelled flights – especially from the Mid-Atlantic region – were.
Although not a lot of new prompt sales were done at the meeting, the few that were helped boost the Gulf’s NOLA DAP barge price last week – but not by much.
Weather was also responsible for holding down warehouse sales along the river system last week, and some areas will get more snow this week. Another factor in holding back sales appeared to be the reluctance of dealers to completely fill their bins before the season begins. Many dealers want to have a better picture of what farmers will do before they invest in high-priced fertilizer. They want to be out of product at the end of the season. Last week, DAP warehouse prices were running between $430/st FOB and $450/st FOB, with the cheapest at the southern end and the highest in the most northerly areas, but sales slowed significantly last week.
Based on transactions last week, the NOLA DAP barge price range was $415-$416/st FOB, compared to $410-$415/st FOB. A trader at the TFI conference last week reportedly purchased an April NOLA DAP barge at $405/st FOB, but the seller later attempted to buy the same barge back at a higher price and was refused. That deal was unusual, and buyers should expect the price to continue to rise to draw from the bustling export market.
Eastern Cornbelt: DAP remained at $435-$445/st FOB regional warehouses, with MAP $10-$15/st higher. One northern Illinois source quoted rail-delivered DAP at the $460/st level last week. 10-34-0 was steady at $350-$365/st FOB in the region.
Western Cornbelt: DAP was steady at $430-$445/st FOB regional warehouses, with the lower end again reported in southern Missouri. MAP was $10-$15/st higher than DAP; one Nebraska source quoted delivered MAP at the $477/st level to his location for immediate take. 10-34-0 was unchanged at $345-$355/st FOB in the region.
California: DAP and MAP were quoted at $475-$480/st FOB or DEL in the state. Agrium hiked its MAP postings on Feb. 10 to $495/st rail-DEL or FOB warehouse in California and Arizona.
16-20-0 was tagged at 319-$326/st FOB warehouses, depending on location. The 10-34-0 market in California was up $15/st from last report, to $348-$369/st FOB.
Super phosphoric acid (SPA) and merchant grade acid (MGA) were pegged at $7.85/unit DEL in California, up $0.35/unit from last report. Simplot was referenced at $8.05/unit FOB the warehouse for MGA. Effective Feb. 1, Agrium’s phos acid postings firmed to $785/st rail-DEL for both SPA and MGA in California and Arizona.
Pacific Northwest: DAP and MAP pricing had firmed to $465-$475/st FOB or DEL in the region, depending on location. Effective Feb. 10, Agrium’s MAP postings moved to $480/st DEL in Montana and Wyoming; $485/st DEL in southern Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon’s Malheur County; and $480/st FOB and $490/st DEL in Washington, northern Idaho, and Oregon excluding Malheur County.
16-20-0 was reported at $314-$320/st DEL, also up slightly from last report. 10-34-0 was quoted at $365-$375/st FOB in the region last week, up $15/st from January pricing levels.
Phosphoric acid prices had firmed to $7.85/unit DEL in the region, with reports of limited railcar availability. Effective Feb. 1, Agrium’s phosphoric acid postings firmed to $785/st rail-DEL for both SPA and MGA in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Western Canada: MAP was quoted at $582-$617/mt DEL in the region, up $20/mt from last report. The low end of the range was reported in Manitoba on a spot basis, with the higher numbers in Alberta. A British Columbia source put the current reference price for MAP in his location at $605/mt DEL last week.
10-34-0 was tagged at $480-$483/mt DEL in Alberta and Saskatchewan, up $10/mt from last report.
U.S. Export: Pakistan hit the DAP export market in a big way last week, snapping up somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 mt from the U. S., Russia, and Lithuania. The U.S. tons will be supplied by Transammonia and Ameropa at prices in the $490-$495/mt FOB range, which boosted the DAP export range last week.
Pakistan was poised to make significantly large buys this year, assuming it receives sufficient rain.
In addition to the sale to Pakistan, Trammo also sold 45,000 mt to Australia, which was based on formula pricing.
The export DAP price range last week increased from the previous week’s $465-$470/mt FOB to $490-$495/mt FOB. Offshore buyers should expect to continue to see increasing prices, which could grow to as high as $550/mt FOB, and possibly higher. In part, the rise in phosphate prices was the result of a shortage of and higher prices for sulfur.
China: Sources report the bonded warehouses still have plenty of DAP for export. The current price range out of China is pegged at $515-$520/mt FOB.
The product faces the same rules as urea – the material must have arrived in a bonded warehouse and have a vessel nominated by Jan. 31 – to qualify for the lower export duty.
Traders report some purchases are taking place with little intention to sell right away.
The idea seems to be to ship the DAP to a country and then store it in a local warehouse. Once the local DAP inventories dry up and global prices have moved up again, the tons in the warehouse will be sold. If the seller is able to get the market price at the time of the sale, the profit margin could be substantial, said one trader.
POTASH
Eastern Cornbelt: Potash was pegged at $405-$420/st FOB, depending on location, grade, and supplier. One source quoted granular potash at $412/st rail-DEL to his location. Agrium moved its 60 percent red premium potash postings up on Feb. 2 to $420/st FOB and $430/st rail-DEL in the region.
Western Cornbelt: Potash was pegged at $395-$417/st FOB regional warehouses, depending on grade and location, with the low reported in southern Missouri and the upper end quoted for white granular tons out of spot river locations. One source said the warehouse market is “dragging its feet” after producers moved to higher prices. Agrium’s 60 percent red premium potash postings firmed on Feb. 2 to $420/st FOB and $430/st DEL in the region.
California: Potash was tagged at $440-$460/st DEL in California, depending on grade. Potassium nitrate was quoted at $929-$996/st FOB, with the low for bulk tons and the upper end for bagged product.
The sulfate of potash (SOP) market was pegged at $590-$610/st FOB for bulk tons, depending on grade and supplier. Great Salt Lake Minerals Corp., a subsidiary of Compass Minerals, announced a $30/st increase in the selling price of all SOP specialty fertilizer products, effective April 1. This increase will apply to both standard and granulated products shipped to all locations worldwide.
Pacific Northwest: Effective Feb. 2, Agrium’s 60 percent red premium potash postings firmed $30/st, to $445/st railDEL and $435/st FOB the warehouse in southern Idaho, Utah, and Oregon’s Malheur County; $450/st rail-DEL and $440/st FOB in Washington, the Idaho Panhandle, and Oregon excluding Malheur County and the Willamette Valley; and $455/st rail-DEL and $445/st FOB in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The company had originally scheduled the $30/st increase for March 1.
Effective March 1, postings from Intrepid Potash FOB Moab and Wendover, Utah, will firm $30/st to $385/st for 60 percent standard and $390/st for 60 percent granular.
Western Canada: Potash to Canadian customers FOB Saskatchewan mines was quoted at $431-$437/mt FOB, depending on grade.
SULFUR
Tampa: As fast as sulfur vessels could unload to tanks at Tampa, they were being quickly drained – supplies remain extremely tight. That points to a significant price increase for molten delivered to Tampa during the second quarter.
The economy continued to be a drag on refining activity, which was running in the upper 70 percent of capacity last week, as many motorists had no need to fill their tanks while on unemployment. In addition, there was little difference between prices for sweet and crude oil, so the greater use of sweet crude was cutting into sulfur production. That situation may continue far into the year, despite earlier predictions of excess sulfur capacity. At the same time, demand from phosphate and other industries was growing.
MARKET NOTES
India: Indian media report the government will implement the new Nutrient Based Subsidy program when the new fiscal year starts April 1. The reports also say the price of fertilizers to farmers could be raised.
The price of urea could be raised 10 percent from its current RS4,830/mt (US$/104.13/mt). An increase of 5 percent is also planned for DAP and MOP.
DAP is currently capped at RS4,830/mt (US$201.57/mt). MOP is priced at RS4,455/mt (US$96.04/mt).
The existing subsidy program pays for specific fertilizers, such as urea, DAP, or MOP. Under the new plan, the government will subsidize the nutrient content. The hope, said supporters, is that farmers will implement a more balanced application program of nutrients. The government hopes the new plan will mean continued strong crop yields at lower cost to the treasury.
Subsidies for fertilizer have been a major economic drain on the Indian treasury. The current fiscal year budget for subsidies is US$537 million. So far, the government has paid $717 million in subsidies.
A move to get the subsidy program under control took on a more urgent tone during the 2008-2009 fiscal year, when subsidies hit nearly US$1.2 billion.
Wallace “Wally” Wells, 74, former president and senior trader of Inter-Chem, Tulsa, Okla., passed away Feb. 8 following a brief but gallant fight against respiratory failure, according to Inter-Chem. The company noted that the inimitable Wells helped to initiate Cargill’s entry into fertilizer trading and distribution. Wells joined Inter-Chem and John Arend in 1978, and for 32 years he was a key asset in building Inter-Chem’s growth and success.
Wells was known as one of the most active market makers and professional traders in the industry. He will be missed not only by his family and fellow employees, but also by many other industry-wide friends and acquaintenances.
Funeral services will be at the Boston Avenue Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m., Monday, Feb. 15. Services will be followed by a 1:30 p.m. reception at Inter-Chem’s office at 1887 E. 71st St., Tulsa. Industry friends interested in attending are requested to RSVP Inter-Chem as soon as possible at 918-496-7711.
PCS Sales announced the following promotions, which were effective on January 1, 2010. John Highley, director, industrial sales, is assuming new responsibilities and has been promoted to senior director, industrial sales. Stacy Schnetzka, district sales manager, has been promoted to director, purified acid sales. Paul Hayden and Dave McLeish, district sales managers, have been promoted to managers, national accounts. Jennifer Zagorski, Paul Whitworth, and John Fowler, sales representatives I, have been promoted to sales representatives II.
The board of directors for The Sulphur Institute (TSI) recently named Hermann Wittje, director, raw materials, The Mosaic Co., as chair of the organization, and Mark Whittemore, executive vice president, commercial, International Commodities Export Corp. (ICEC), as vice chair. This marks the first time in the 50-year history of TSI that representatives from a sulfur-consuming company and a trading company have assumed the leadership of TSI.
“With new leadership representing leading companies in the worldwide sulphur business, this further demonstrates TSI’s growing diversity representing interests of all sulfur stakeholders,” said Catherine Randazzo, TSI president and CEO. “The Sulphur Institute has evolved with the industry and now has member companies from the Arab Gulf and the Caspian Sea regions, where the sulfur business is growing rapidly, joining companies from Asia, Europe, and North America.”
In other news, TSI will be holding its annual meeting April 12-15, this year in Doha, Qatar. For more details, see www.sulphurinstitute.org/symposium10/.
Viterra Inc. has appointed Mike Brooks to the position of senior vice president and chief information officer. He will be responsible for Viterra’s global information technology function, including the relationships Viterra has with its service delivery partners. He joined the company in 1998, and most recently served as vice president and chief information officer.
Brooks previously worked for SHL Systemhouse. He also served in the Canadian Armed Forces, where he designed and managed strategic information systems. He is a past director of the Canadian Forces Liaison Council, chairman of the Conference Board of Canada’s CIO Council, and a past president of the Canadian Information Processing Society, Regina chapter.
Salt Lake City-State planners are moving ahead to acquire land and build a facility for processing fertilizer or for other purposes on the shore of Utah Lake, where some 6 million pounds of carp are being removed as a threat to an endangered fish species. “Fertilizer is really one of the most promising uses we’ve heard about from people who have come to the site and talked to us,” Chris Keleher, assistant director of the recovery program under the Department of Natural Resources, told Green Markets. Biologists say ridding the lake of the bottom-feeding carp is the most important thing that can be done to take the June sucker, found only in Utah Lake, off the endangered list. Keleher said numerous companies have expressed interest in turning the catch into fertilizer, and one of the most promising, SoilRenu of California, “spent a lot of time with us expressing interest and discussing their business plans to produce liquid fertilizer.” The project has cleared its first hurdle, with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service conducting an environmental assessment and finding no significant impact from removal of the carp, opening the way for $1 million in federal funding. Another $500,000 is expected from the state to acquire property, build an access to the highway, and start work on the facility. In the meantime, Keleher noted, contractors are continuing the carp removal, which began in September. Some of the removed carp had been distributed to mink farmers for use as food, and to local farmers who used it for compost until neighbors complained about the odor.
Loveland, Colo.-Agrium Advanced Technologies claims its new controlled-release Spread it & Forget it fertilizer now available feeds lawns and professional turf for six months or more with just one application, enabling turf professionals to spread just once and keep turf lush, green and healthy for a full growing season. The new line utilizes DURATION CR controlled-release fertilizer technology to ensure steady nutrient release made possible by advanced-generation polymer coatings. The coatings gradually release nutrients as plants need them, at the same time protecting the environment against nitrogen loss and enabling up to 40 percent less total nitrogen to be applied per year. Each Spread it & Forget it blend is formulated with 90 percent or more of its nitrogen from DURATION CR and up to 10 percent of a quickly available nitrogen source for immediate greening. Products will be available with and without pre-emergent herbicides for added convenience and efficiency. Agrium reported that commercial and residential test groups in 2009 gave positive ratings to the new product for promoting healthy, green turf while saving on labor and fuel costs.
Houston-A business move made by Waste Management, Inc. (WM) with waste recycler Harvest Power is expected to result in significant increases in the supply of organic compost and fertilizers in U.S. and Canada. With this aim in mind, WM has announced plans to invest in Harvest Power to help the company expand its organics recycling facilities to generate more renewable energy along with high-quality nutrient-rich compost and bio-fertilizer products. “Combining Waste Management’s industry leadership and expertise in the collection and management of a wide range of segmented waste streams with Harvest’s leading technologies and industry knowledge will be key to developing new, higher value-added end markets for organic materials and accelerating the growth of organics recycling across North America,” reported Tim Cesarek, managing director of organic growth at Waste Management. Harvest Power of Waltham, Mass., with offices in Seattle and Richmond, B.C., has significant expertise in organic waste management, from building and operating large-scale organics recycling facilities to marketing compost products. Harvest Power owns and operates a facility located in Richmond, B.C., that it describes as the largest and most efficient food and yard waste composting facility in North America. With WM’s help, Harvest Power will be expanding to more cities, starting with the East and West Coasts, and provide raw material for its composting process – and, in the near future, its biogas and syngas production systems.
Seattle-Landscapers and others support the idea of reducing phosphorus runoff, but think the bill currently in the Washington state legislature has too many flaws. For one, the Washington Assn. of Landscape Professionals is concerned that jurisdiction over fertilizer would be shifted from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Ecology, which the group insists is not the right location. The association’s legislative chair, Rick Longnecker, who owns Buds & Blades Landscape Co., pointed out that enforcement would be put at the local level, making it difficult for businesses to operate with several different municipalities or counties in the mix. Heather Hanson, who represents farm groups and landscapers, said phosphorus occurs naturally in the environment and that it is impossible to separate it from some organic fertilizers. The bill requires expensive soil tests and ties enforcement actions to neighbor complaints, she said. Longnecker added, “Based on studies abroad and locally, we aren’t convinced that the phosphorus runoff is caused by fertilizers. It’s our position that phosphorus binds to the soil, in the root zone, until it is used by the plant for uptake. Very little, if any, is actually runoff caused by fertilizer.” The current bill comes on top of state-imposed restrictions for laundry and dishwasher detergents that would require low- or no-phosphorus fertilizers for lawns but would not restrict golf courses or farms. Washington banned phosphate laundry detergents in 1993, and imposed similar conditions on dishwashing detergents in 2008 starting in Spokane, Clark, and Whatcom counties that take effect this year in the rest of the state.
Indianapolis-The state chemist’s office, exercising an authority unique to Indiana, has turned down a request by Steuben County in northeastern Indiana and the town of Clear Lake to ban lawn fertilizers containing phosphorous in order to improve water quality in the county, which calls itself the Land of 101 Lakes. The chemist’s office, located at Purdue University, held that testimony did not establish that the ban would effectively mitigate the further development of what the petitioners described as worsening algae blooms that give some of the waters a greenish cast. The petitioners insisted that the condition is discouraging the use of the waters by boaters, tourists, and summer residents, who generate an estimated $130 million in annual revenue. The final determination, signed by Dr. Robert Waltz, state chemist and seed commissioner, held that the ordinance would be unenforceable because local enforcement was not considered a highly desired outcome and no other strategy was presented to achieve the outcome. Steuben Commissioner Ron Smith noted that the water quality of the lakes has improved over the past 20 years as many farmers have taken steps to reduce field runoff. “Our lakes are much cleaner, but this ban was another attempt on the part of the county to improve the quality of our waters,” Smith said. He believes the Indiana State Chemist Office rejected the county’s request for a waiver for its ban because approving it would have set a precedent, opening the door for other counties to follow with their own laws. Waltz told Green Markets that “the provision that the state chemist specifically identified as the official response to these requests is probably unique to Indiana {whereas} in most states other officials and agencies may be given the same or very similar responsibilities.”
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